Show ContentsDowie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Dowie is a Dalriadan-Scottish name, no doubt originally for a person who lived in the Macildowie territory. The name Dowie is a shortened form of the place-name, and surname, Macildowie. In Gaelic, MacIldowie means "son of the black lad" 1

Early Origins of the Dowie family

The surname Dowie was first found in on the Isle of Iona.

A very rare surname, one of the first records was of "John Mc John Dowy in Boespick and Thomas Mc Allester Dowie in Dalquhalliche [who] were fined for reset of Clan Gregor, 1613." 1

Some of the family may be indeed English, as in Devon we found "Bampton affords a notable instance of decadence. A very poor little market-town now, it was once the head of an honour held of the Conqueror by Walter de Douay. Previously it had formed part of the royal demesne. Domesday records a population of 68, including 15 swineherds. BAMPTON affords a notable instance of decadence. A very poor little market-town now, it was once the head of an honour held of the Conqueror by Walter de Douay. Previously it had formed part of the royal demesne. A hide adjacent to the manor had been held by five thanes, and here Walter had three tenants, with eight serfs, bordars, and villeins. Walter de Douay's son, Robert de Bampton, had an only daughter, who brought the manor to the Paganells and thence again it passed to the Cogans by the marriage." 2

Early History of the Dowie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dowie research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1671 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Dowie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dowie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Dowie has appeared in various documents spelled Dowie, Dowey, Douie, Douey, MacIldowie, MacIldowy and others.

Early Notables of the Dowie family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Thomas MacAlester Dowie of Dalquhalliche


United States Dowie migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Dowie family emigrate to North America:

Dowie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Dowie, who landed in Maryland in 1762 3
Dowie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Dowie who settled in Philadelphia in 1839

Australia Dowie migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dowie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Andrew Dowie, a cooper, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Mr. George Dowie, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 4
  • John Murray Dowie, aged 33, a tailor, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Schah Jehan"

New Zealand Dowie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dowie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. R. Dowie, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Dowie (post 1700) +

  • John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907), American religious leader
  • Iain Dowie (b. 1965), British football manager and coach
  • Freda Dowie (b. 1928), British television actress
  • John Dowie, British pop artist
  • James Dowie, Owner of the James Dowie & Son Shipping Line
  • John Dowie Harcombe (1883-1954), English first-class cricketer


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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